Inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the environment crime protection Department talked about the violation at Xuyen A slaughterhouse in the city’s outskirt district of Cu Chi
Inspector chief of the Ministry Pham Tien Dung said that after being informed the slaughterhouse wrongdoings, inspectors spent one month to probe.
A police raid on September 28 into Xuyen A, the city’s largest slaughter house in Cu Chi District, discovered thousands of pigs injected with a sedative shortly before being slaughtered for meat.
At that time, around 5,031 pigs were brought into the slaughter and 200 animals had been brought into before.
Mr. Dung said through testing, around 3,750 pigs are positive for sedative. Moreover, the drug contain Acepromazine concentration of 0.47-0.51 mg/ml, much higher than the Ministry of Health’s allowable limits.
As per the food safety regulations, traders will receive fine of VND30 – 35 million ($1,320 -1,540) for the act. In addition to issue highest fine to these traders, the Department of Animal Health proposed the slaughter stopping signing contract with dishonest traders.
The foreign sedative has effect during 24 hours, the inspection team will return the slaughterhouse to test again. Only when the pigs are negative, they are reallowed to open.
The pigs were found to have been injected with the sedative to keep aggressive animals calm while being transported to the slaughterhouse; however, consumption of pork with sedative residue can cause low blood pressure, sluggishness, weight gain, dry mouth, constipation, allergic reactions, drowsiness, prolonged depression, and reduced ability to regulate body temperature.
Probe will be carried out to find out whether staffs in the slaughterhouse lend their hands to the wrongdoings.
